Best TV The Best Psychological Thriller TV Shows

The very best psychological thriller shows incorporate elements of suspense, drama, and intrigue to keep characters - and viewers - guessing. This list of the top psychological thrillers on television is ranked from best to worst, and it includes pictures from the shows when available. A sneaky criminal on the loose? A clever killer outwitting victims and detectives alike? Get a forensic psychologist on the case. Popular psychological thriller TV shows have been a staple of television for years, so there's often debate about which are the most entertaining psychological thriller shows of all time. Don't let your favorite psychological thriller television programs in history get to the bottom of the list- be sure to vote them up so they have the chance to reach the top spot. The list of psychological thriller television shows below includes information like the program's cast, creator and premiere date when available.

Examples of shows on this list include Twin Peaks, Hannibal, and other psychological TV shows.

This list answers the questions, "What is the best psychological thriller show of all time?" and "What are the greatest thriller shows with elements of psychology??"

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HannibalHugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas Hannibal is an American psychological thriller–horror television series developed by Bryan Fuller for NBC. The series is based on characters and elements appearing in the novel Red Dragon by ...more

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DexterMichael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas Dexter is an American television drama series. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for Miami Metro Police Department who also leads a secret life ...more

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LoreAlfaro added Bates MotelVera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot Bates Motel is an American drama thriller television series developed for television by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano, and produced by Universal Television for the cable network ...more

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nicolas.verret added American Horror StoryConnie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters American Horror Story (FX, 2011) is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. An anthology series centering on different characters and locations, ...more

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muybueno16 added Lie to MeTim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines Lie to Me is an American crime drama television series. It originally ran on the Fox network from January 21, 2009 to January 31, 2011. In the show, Dr. Cal Lightman and his colleagues in The ...more

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Luke Albright added Black MirrorDaniel Kaluuya, Toby Kebbell, Rory Kinnear Black Mirror is a British television anthology series created by Charlie Brooker that features speculative fiction with dark and sometimes satirical themes that examine modern society, ...more

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PrashantBhati added The FollowingKevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Shawn Ashmore The Following is an American television drama series created by Kevin Williamson and jointly produced by Outerbanks Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The first season follows former FBI ...more

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Luke Albright added Stranger ThingsWinona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard Stranger Things (Netflix, 2016) is an American science fiction-horror web television series created by The Duffer Brothers. When a young boy (Noah Schnapp) disappears, his mother (Winona Ryder), ...more

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colekaizanejay added LostNaveen Andrews, Matthew Fox, Jorge Garcia Lost is an American television drama series that originally aired on the American Broadcasting Company from September 22, 2004, to May 23, 2010, over six seasons, comprising a total of 121 ...more

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Twin PeaksKyle MacLachlan, Russ Tamblyn, Sherilyn Fenn Twin Peaks (Showtime, 2017) is a miniseries that follows FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in a continuation of the original 1990 series, created by David Lynch.

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The KillingMireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell The Killing is an American crime drama television series that premiered on April 3, 2011, on AMC, based on the Danish television series Forbrydelsen. The American version was developed by Veena ...more

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AnneMarijkeDusseljee added BroadchurchDavid Tennant, Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker Broadchurch is a British television crime drama broadcast on ITV. It was created and written by Chris Chibnall and produced by Kudos Film and Television, Shine America, and Imaginary Friends. ...more

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MajaKadic added The BlacklistJames Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff The Blacklist is an American crime drama television series that premiered on NBC on September 23, 2013. Raymond "Red" Reddington, a former U.S Navy officer turned high-profile ...more

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MajaKadic added Orphan BlackTatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris Orphan Black is a Canadian science fiction television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett, starring Tatiana Maslany as several identical people who are, in ...more

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TobuscusHolmes added FringeAnna Torv, Joshua Jackson, Jasika Nicole Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting network on September 9, 2008, and concluded ...more

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lloydc added GypsyNaomi Watts, Billy Crudup, Sophie Cookson Gypsy is a television drama series created by Lisa Rubin for Netflix. Naomi Watts plays a therapist who begins to develop dangerous and intimate relationships with the people in her patients

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HomelandClaire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Rupert Friend Homeland is an American political thriller television series developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa based on the Israeli series Hatufim, which was created by Gideon Raff. The series stars ...more

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Shrey Dhingra added MindhunterJonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv Mindhunter (Netflix, 2017) is an American drama series based on the book Mind Hunter: Inside FBIs Elite Serial Crime Unit written by Mark Olshaker and John E. Douglas. Set in 1979, the series ...more

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DamagesGlenn Close, Rose Byrne, Tate Donovan Damages is an American legal thriller television series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler. It premiered on July 24, 2007 on FX ...more

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muybueno16 added OzErnie Hudson, J.K. Simmons, Lee Tergesen Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced ...more

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TVJG added Pretty Little LiarsTroian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale Pretty Little Liars is an American teen drama mystery–thriller television series loosely based on the popular book series of the same title, written by Sara Shepard. The show premiered on June ...more

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RevengeMadeleine Stowe, Emily VanCamp, Gabriel Mann Revenge is an American primetime television series that airs on ABC, starring Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp, which debuted on September 21, 2011. During its first season it aired on ...more

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Luke Albright added Penny DreadfulJosh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green Penny Dreadful is a British-American horror TV series created for Showtime and Sky by John Logan, who also acts as executive producer alongside Sam Mendes. The show was originally pitched to ...more

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Anesca Soriano Abordo added Sense8Aml Ameen, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton Sense8 (Netflix, 2015) is an American science fiction drama web television series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. A group of people around the world are suddenly ...more

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LindaOwino added Harper's IslandElaine Cassidy, Christopher Gorham, Matt Barr Harper's Island is a horror thriller/mystery mini-series created by Ari Schlossberg. It aired on CBS during the 2008–2009 season. The series premiered on April 9, 2009, at 10:00 pm ET/PT. ...more

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Darya Valdez added The SinnerJessica Biel, Bill Pullman, Christopher Abbott The Sinner is an upcoming American drama television series based on the novel of the same name by Petra Hammesfahr. The series' first season follows the events that happen after a young mother ...more

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Luke Albright added mr robotRami Malek, Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday Mr. Robot (USA Network, 2015) is an American dramathriller television series created by Sam Esmail. Elliot (Rami Malek), a cybersecurity engineer and hacker who suffers from social anxiety ...more

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1515738325167 added DarkLouis Hofmann, Oliver Masucci, Jördis Triebel Dark (Netflix, 2017) is a German science fiction thriller web series created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. The disappearance of two young children in the German town of Winden brings light ...more

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Luke Albright added FargoBilly Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks Fargo (FX, 2014) is an American black comedycrime drama anthology television series created by Noah Hawley, and inspired by the 1996 film. Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder ...more

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Battlestar GalacticaEdward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore and executive produced ...more

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TVJG added Top of the LakeElisabeth Moss, Thomas M. Wright, Peter Mullan Top of the Lake is a 2013 television miniseries written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It marks Campion's first work for television since An Angel at My ...more

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Luke Albright added Person of InterestJim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Chapman Person of Interest is an American science fiction crime drama television series created by Jonathan Nolan that premiered on September 22, 2011, on CBS. The series revolves around John Reese, a ...more

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TVJG added MillenniumLance Henriksen, Megan Gallagher, Terry O'Quinn Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, that aired on the Fox Network between 1996 and 1999. The series follows the investigations of ex-FBI ...more

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Nip/TuckDylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, Joely Richardson Nip/Tuck is an American television drama series created by Ryan Murphy; it aired on FX in the United States from July 18, 2003 to March 3, 2010. The series focuses on "McNamara/Troy", ...more

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DollhouseEliza Dushku, Harry Lennix, Fran Kranz Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and ...more

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JamesCushman added Serial Experiments LainAyako Kawasumi, Shigeru Shiba, Ryūsuke Ōbayashi Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, with character design by Yoshitoshi ABe, screenplay written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and produced by Yasuyuki Ueda for ...more

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JoeCanna added The 100Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco, Thomas McDonell The 100 (The CW, 2014) is an American post-apocalyptic science fiction drama television series developed by Jason Rothenberg, loosely based on the book by Kass Morgan. 97 years after a nuclear ...more

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SC00 added WilfredElijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann Wilfred is a US remake of a previous Austrailian show by the same name, starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann.

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Svetlana Pavlovic added Wayward PinesMatt Dillon, Carla Gugino, Toby Jones Wayward Pines (Fox, 2015) is an American mystery, science fiction television series developed by Chad Hodge. A Secret Service agent (Matt Dillon) goes to Wayward Pines, Idaho, in search of two ...more

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Luke Albright added LongmireRobert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips “Longmire,” a contemporary crime thriller set in Big Sky country, is based on the Walt Longmire Mystery novels by best-selling author Craig Johnson. The series stars Australian actor Robert ...more

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Luke Albright added 12 MonkeysAaron Stanford, Amanda Schull, Kirk Acevedo 12 Monkeys (SyFy, 2015) is an American television series on Syfy created by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett, and loosely based on the 1995 film. In the year 2043, scavenger James Cole (Aaron ...more

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Battlestar GalacticaEdward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson, that began the Battlestar Galactica franchise. Starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk ...more

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Luke Albright added Black SailsJessica Parker Kennedy, Toby Stephens, Hannah New Black Sails is an American dramatic adventure television series set on New Providence Island and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. The series was created by Jonathan ...more

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Luke Albright added RiverdaleKJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes Riverdale (The CW, 2017) is an American teen drama television series developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, based on the characters of Archie Comics. The series follows Archie Andrews' (KJ Apa) ...more

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Luke Albright added ElementaryJonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, Aidan Quinn Elementary is an American crime drama series that presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes. The series was created by Robert Doherty and stars Jonny ...more

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MajaKadic added Les Revenants The Returned is a French supernatural drama television series created by Fabrice Gobert, based on the 2004 French film They Came Back directed by Robin Campillo. The series debuted on 26 ...more

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muybueno16 added MotiveKristin Lehman, Louis Ferreira, Brendan Penny Motive is a Canadian police procedural drama television series that premiered on the CTV television network on February 3, 2013, immediately following Super Bowl XLVII. The series premiere had ...more